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Boeing 787 Dreamliner: Innovation Gone Wrong?
About Boeing
The history of Boeing dates back to 1916, when William Boeing (William) and George Westervelt (Westervelt) formed the Pacific Aero Products Company. The company was renamed as Boeing the next year. In the initial years, Boeing used to manufacture aircraft for the US military. In 1922, Edgar Scott became the company’s president. During his tenure, the US navy gave Boeing the contract to build a primary trainer (plane for test flights). In 1927, Boeing’s Model 40A was selected by the US Post Office to deliver mail between San Francisco and Chicago. To run the airmail service, Boeing Air Transport (BAT) was formed. BAT also used to train pilots, set up airfields, and provide maintenance staff. After World War II, Boeing shifted its focus from the defence industry to commercial jets, as the company realized that to speed up the company’s growth, it had to design, mass produce, and sell its own aircraft. In 1952, it launched its first commercial jet, the Boeing 707, a short range aircraft. |
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In 1960, Boeing started manufacturing its first Jumbo Jet – the Boeing 747, which went on to become one of the company’s most successful aircraft. In 1962, Boeing manufactured the Air Force One, the official airplane of the US President. In late 1969, Boeing entered the field of spacecraft manufacturing by contributing to the Apollo program. In 1970, after Airbus Industrie was formed, Boeing’s market share started to decline. The recession in the 1970s also badly affected the company.
